Dropseed Farm
Small-scale Vegetable Farm

On just a 1/2 acre…

Seasonal vegetables are grown with care just 8 miles east of Dubuque, Iowa at the Sinsinawa Mound Collaborative Farm in Wisconsin. The farm is run 100% by one person, Jess. You can learn about her story here. Having the perspective that we are land stewards rather than land “owners,” holds us responsible to each other. Dropseed Farm is certified organic through the Midwest Organic Service Association (MOSA) which facilitates the USDA National Organic Program. Cover cropping and no-till practices are the way to go. You will see Jess using a digging fork and hand tools to perform all of the soil work before, during and after planting. It is a lot of work for anyone, especially a person with low-gravitational pull (that means I don’t weigh much). Sign up for the newsletter and follow @dropseed_farm on instagram.

Vegetables

The availability of vegetables is rhythmic. We begin in the spring with the sweetest spinach, salad mix, carrots, radishes, green onions, and bok choi. Summer brings us cucumbers, zucchinis, tomatoes, melons, green beans, and corn. Then comes the best part of the year with onions, squash, garlic, peppers, and pumpkins in the fall. Dropseed Farm has it all. If you don’t see something you’re looking for, just ask! Dropseed grows special crops for local food trucks, artisan bakeries, and prepared meal services.

Food Pantry Partnerships

Jess personally delivers boxes of fresh organic produce to Food Pantries each week. The importance of maintaining these partnerships can not be understated. If you’re interested in supporting this effort by delivering boxes, contact Jess. Dropseed Farm holds contracts with both the Iowa Food Hub and the Wisconsin Food Hub to serve Food Pantries in our communities.

Native Plants

Pre-orders for native plants can be placed March - April. Restoring biodiversity in a small urban yard is equally important as a hundred acre ecosystem restoration. The attention and curiosity that these plants invite to your neighborhood is valuable in itself. Dropseed Farm offers a pay-what-you-can system for all native plants. The cost of materials and a bit of labor can be covered with about $4/plant. The work of growing native plants will not end for Jess regardless of any financial payment, but the plants are not guaranteed to make it in nice neat pots to your local plant sales, farmers market, or doorstep.

The work of seed saving, drying, and cleaning is done in the fall along side the curing of onions, winter squash, and herbs. If you’re interested in learning how to save your own seeds, let’s talk.